Opposition BJP created an uproar in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly on Thursday on the issue of alleged non-issuance of 'no dues certificates' to farmers, which is necessary for availing fresh loans.
BJP MLAs staged a walkout from the House after their demand for the discussion on the issue was not admitted by the Chair.
Raking up the issue after the Question Hour, BJP MLA Shivratan Sharma said primary cooperative societies throughout the state were not issuing no dues certificate to farmers against their loan clearances.
"In the absence of no dues certificate, farmers were unable to apply for fresh loans which they require for the ongoing Rabi crops," he said.
The state government has been claiming that it has waived all short-term agriculture loans of farmers.
"But it has been two months since the government was formed, but farmers have not yet been issued no dues certificates," he said.
Supporting him on the issue, BJP MLA Ajay Chandrakar questioned why the farmers were not being issued no dues certificates and said the situation is a result of wrong policies of the state government.
BJP members further demanded from the Chair to allow discussion by allowing their Adjournment Motion on the issue. However, Amarjeet Bhagat, who was in the Chair, refused to entertain the matter.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, BJP legislators staged a walkout.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, soon after taking oath on December 17 last year, had announced to write off short-term agriculture loans to the tune of over Rs 6,100 crore of over 16.65 lakh farmers drawn from cooperative banks and Chhattisgarh Gramin Banks in the state.
While tabling the budget for fiscal 2019-20 on February 8, Baghel, who also holds finance portfolio, had announced to write of short-term agriculture loans of approximately Rs 4,000 crore distributed by the public sector commercial banks along with those distributed by rural and co-operative banks.
According to the government, the total waiver of nearly Rs 10,000 crore will benefit 20 lakh farmers in the state.
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